Draft regulator for fireplaces and the like



Jan. 8, 1929. 1,698,234

F. LAWRENCE DRAFT REGULATOR FOR FIREPLACES AND THE LIKE Filed April'27,1926 2 Sheets-Shet 1 .171 U6 71 1'0 7* .F Wa 11/: 5.1 71116: wrez ae F.LAWRENCE DRAFT REGULATOR FOR FI REPLACES AND THE LIKE Jan. 8, 1929.

Filed April 27, 1926 2 Sheets-She et 2 & g

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nnirsn srarss 11,698,234 rarest o-FFI C-E -V' FRANKLIN nawsnnen, orreenrnann, Marian, assrerroni'ro ronrtann srovn FOUNDRY 00., orroarrann, MAINE, a conro'sarion or MAINE;

DRAFT nneurn ronron rrnnrnncns AND THE LIKE.

Application filed April 2?, 1926. Serial No. 105,020.

This invention relates to improvements in draft regulators for fireplaces and the like.

It relates more particularly vto improved means for operating suchregulators, and to a structure for theapparatus as a whole which lendsitself to the packing, storing and shipping of a quantity of theregulators with considerable saving in time, labor and space. Thecommonly used type of fire place draft regulator embodies a dampermounted in a casing, which latter serves as the'bridge over the theplace opening in the room as well as comprising the entrance to the flueIn modern homebuilding the location of the means for operating thedamper has become important, and is the occasionof careful considerationby architects and contractors as well as of particular home builders,and in In this arrangement the said arm is slidable cidentally a sourceof trouble and expense for dealers which it is among the objects of thisinvention to eliminate, Building methods have standardized to a degreethe positions at which the operating means may be placed, i either of'twousual arrangements,

one being above the fire place opening, pro jecting into the room, andthe other within the fire place openingpractically concealed from view.Each arrangement has its own advantages and appeal, and as a: result ithas been necessary heretofore that at least two distinct types ofregulating apparatus'be manufactured, each with its own separate anddistinctive style ofdamper and casing therefor; and the dealers in suchapparatus have had to carry both. types in stock. The customarystructures are moreover cumbersome, and thus a large spacefor storageofeach type is needed if any considerable nunr her is carried instock; Inshipment and commercial distribution the bulky nature is also a sourceof trouble and expense.

It is a purpose of the present invention to eliminate the necessity forcarrying in stock 10ft} than a single type of regulator, byprovidingapparatus capable of serving in either of the dual capacities, with theoperating lever projecting to the face of the fire place eitherthroughthe wall above the fire place opening, or at a lower lever terminating.within said opening and not pro ectinginto the room, according as one orthe other arrangements is desired. It is a feature of the improvedstructure that a choice between these arrangements may be made when theapparatus is installed, the same elements ing in notches in the tops ofthe end walls of.

the casing. The operating device for the pivoted damper is a push roddepending within the casing, thrustup or down by an arm on a rock shaft,which shaft has the op erators handle, runs from the front to back, isitself capable of being-set in either of two elevations in the casing,and in various positions as regards depth from front to back.

on a squared portion of the rock shaft, and

is arranged to take hold of thepush rod in either of two places atdifferent elevations thereon, according as as the rock shaft is in itsupper and forward position, projecting through the wall into the" roomor is in its lower and rearward position, not projecting into the roombut set in the fireplace opening.

When shipping or storing the regulators. the

rod and shaft may be removed and packed in a thin box and thus'placed inthe casg ing, and a number of casings with theiroperating parts ma thenbe nested together in compact piles, t e successive units being spacedapart by internal'ribs'on their sloping walls.

It is intended that the patent shall cover, by suitable expression inthe appendedclaims, whatever features of patent-able novelty exist inthe invention disclosed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a front elevation of apparatus constructed according .to theinvention, the

' above the fire olace but with part broken away thein-the-fireplace-opening arrangement of the damper operating means;Figure 4 1s a bottom plan; Figure 5 is an elevation 1n section on line5-5 of Figure4;

The damper and regulator casing 14 is installed in the usual manner atthe entrance to the flue, wlth its horizontal front flange 15 serving asthe bridge for supporting the facing bricks 16 above the fire place. Thepas sage through casing 14 becomes gradually smaller toward the top ofthe casing, and the damper 18 is mounted for turning at the top of saidcasing. The advantages gained by so shaping the casing are the nesting,which is very useful in connection with the shipplng and storing of theregulators. In Figure 2 an operating rod is shown which in the presentinstanceis a rock shaft extending into the room through the facingbricks which may be understood to rest on the front flange 15, betweenthe side columns 16. This rock shaft passes horizontally through thecasing 14 andhas bearings in holes'22 in the front and rear casingwalls. As illustrated at 14 (Figures 2,. 3, 4) the wall at the rearright hand corner has a reentrant portion, which supports the shaft, andthe top part of the adjacent end wall is also slightly depressed as at14". This construction by permit-ting of the use of a shorter shaft thanwould otherwise be required when in the forward position of Figure 2,provides so that its rear end does not project unduly beyond the rear'ofthe casing when arranged in its position of Figure 3.

In the arrangement of Figure2 the forward end of the shaft passesthrough the front wall of the casing and through an anchor element 23adapted to be maintained rigid by the facing brick. The forward.extremity of the anchor constitutes a flange for engaging the front wallof the fireplace, and the central hole therein through which shaft 20extends has an enlarging notch 23" at one point, (Figure 6) throughwhich a lug or projection 2O on shaft 20 is adapted to pass so as tolock the shaft in place when it has been turned therein. The said slotand projection are so arranged that when the yoke 24 and thrust rod 26are connected to the damper the projection cannot register withthe'slot, and thus the shaft 20 may not be pulled out. Ahandlecomprising a cross arm 28 may be provided on the forward end ofshaft 20 to facilitate its being turned.

In the arrangement of the operating mechanism shown in Figure 2 the yoke24 must be held against sliding on the squared portion of shaft 20. Forthis purpose a pair of ribs with thevery same operative elements so asto have its operating handle 28 within the fire place opening. The yoke24 in this arrangement is slid forward so as to abut against theshoulder 20 on the shaft; is connected to the thrustrod 26 at adifferent position, to Wit, at the end thereof; and the rock shaft 20 isslid further through the rear casing wall and penetrates it through adifferent hole. 32, while its forward end is in a bearing 30providedbeneath the front horizontal flange of casing 14. The shaft 20is locked in position in like manner as in the otherarrangement, therebeing a flange and slot 011 the bearing 30 serving like those on anchor23, and the projection 20 on shaft 20 cooperates with them to maintainthe shaft in place. The yoke 24, in this arrangement, requires no meansfor holdin it against sliding, as the incline of the shaft keeps italways against the shoulder provided. where the squared portionof theshaft ends. In both described arrangements of the operating means thereis a positive control for the damper, and in each case the actualposition of the damper will be indicated at all time by the directionassumed by cross arm 28 of the handle. Although two holes in the rearwall of the casing 14 are shown, one for receiving the rear end of rockshaft 20 in each of its alternative positions, a single hole may be soarranged and so shaped that it will accommodate the shaft 20 in both ofits operative positions.

Conservation of, space in shipping and storing is an important resultmade possible by the illustrated structure of the casing 14, by whicheach fits snugly within another. In furtherance of this end, theinterior faces of the front and back casing walls are provided with theribs 14. These, which need be'only of slight proportions, and of whichfour will suflice, are suitably arranged so as to engage the outer facesof the sloping walls of the casing next below it in a pile to hold. thetops of adjacent casings in spaced relation. The shafts, yokes, and rodemay be removed and stowed differently in their respective casings; orthey may be grouped and securedto the flange of the casings extcrnallythereof. Figure 7 of the drawings the lower casings of the pile each hasa thin box 34 arranged on the flange of the casing,

containing the operating parts, while in the upper one of the pile thebox of parts is shown by dotted lines arranged within the casing in thespace provided between the tops of the nested casings. The latterarrangement is the preferred one as the possibility of accidentaldetachment and loss of parts is eliminated.

Thus are provided all of the advantages of prior dampers, but at aconsiderable saving in space, in time and cost of manufacture, and ofshipment and storage, with much greater economy and utility from thestandpoint of the dealers in such articles.

I claim as my invention:

1. A draft regulator for fire places comprising in combinatien a casinghaving a rear bearing, and two forward bearings arranged one above theother; a damper pivotally mounted in said casing; and operating 'meansconnected to the damper and capable of two different arrangements; saidoperating means being adapted to be supported by said rear bearing andthe upper of said forward bearings to effect positioning of its frontend forward of the plane-of the face of the fire place above the lattersopening, and being adapted to be supported by said rear bearing and thelower of said forward hearings to effect positioning of said end behindsaid plane within said opening.

2. In a draft regulator for fire places the combination with the damperthereof of operating means for the damper adapted to be arranged withits forward portion mounted at one elevation whereby it extends beyondthe plane of the face of the fireplace above the latters opening foraccess by the opera tor, and adapted to be arranged with its forwardportion mounted at another elevation whereby it terminate-s short ofsaid plane and within said opening for access there by the operator.

A draft regulator for lire placescom prising a casing with a damperpivoted therein; a thrust rod depending from the damper within thecasing; an operating rod extend ing from front to rear of the casing andadapted to engage the thrust rod; and mount ing means for said operatingrod provided on the casing attwo different elevations, by one of whichthe operating rod may stand with the range of operating travel of itsfront end at an elevation above the bottom of said casing, and by theother of which the same may stand below the bottom of said casing.

4. A draft regulator for fire places comprising in combination a casing;a damper pivoted on the top edge of the casing; a connecting elementdepending therefrom within said casing; an operating rod extending fromfront to back of the casing and capable of two different arrangements;means adjustavble longitudinally of said rod foreffecting walls areinclined inward from bottom to top, two of said walls being providedWith internal protuberances; a damper pivoted at the top of the casing;and removable operat ing elements, for engaging the damper, reachingfrom the face of the fire place into the casing; the said casing beingadapted to nest with others like it, and the said protuberances beingpositioned to engage the outside of the sloping walls of a similarcasing next below it in a stack thereby to provide a space betweenadjacent casings in the stack;

and the said removable element-s of the regulator being adapted to bepacked together within limits less than the said space.

6. A draft regulator for fire places comprising in combination a casingwhose rear wallhas a re-entrant portion; a damper pivoted at the top ofthe casing; and removable operating elements for engaging the damperincluding an operating rod which extends inward from the plane of theface of the fireplace and is slidably mounted with a bearing in saidre-entrant portion, whereby the extent of the projection of said rodforward from said re-entrant portion may be varied.

7. A draft regulator for fire places comprising a casing including awall extending from front to rear; a pair of internal projections sideby side on said wall; a damper pivoted in the casing; an operating rodextending from front to rear of the casing and having a squared portion;means at the front at two elevations, one of them being below the casingand each being for supporting said operating rod; a slidable elementmounted on the squared portion of the rod, adapted to be turned thereby,and having a connection to the damper; the said element being engagedbetween the said internal projections and thereby maintained inoperative position on the shaft, when the latter is in its upperelevation; and the said rod, when in its lower elevation, being tippeddownward and having a shoulder against which the said element may rest.

8. A draft regulator for fire places comprising in combination a casingwhose rear wall has are-entrant portion; a damper pivoted at the top ofthe casing; an operating lZO.

rod extending to the face of the fire place ed. with a bearing in saidre-entrant portion and having a squared portion; an arm adof the casing,whereby the extent of projec justable longitudinally along said squaredtion oft-he rod forward from said re-entrant 1 portion of the rod; and aconnecting eleportion may be varied.

5 ment depending from the damper and adapt- Signed at Portland, Maine,this thirteenth ed to be engaged by said adjustable arm; the day ofFebruary, 1926. said rod being slidably and rotatably mount- FRANKLINLAWRENCE.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,698,234. Granted January 8, 1929, to

FRANKLIN LAWRENCE.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificationof the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 1,line 49, for the word "lever" read "level"; same page, lines 51 and 52,for "arrangements" read "arrangement"; page 2, line 129, before the word"Figure" insert the word "In"; and that the said Letters Patent shouldbe read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to therecord of the ease in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 2nd day of July, A. D. 1929.

M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

